119-hr1567

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1567 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 1567

 To direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study to assess 
 the suitability and feasibility of establishing the African Burial 
 Ground International Memorial Museum and Educational Center at the 
 African Burial Ground National Monument, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 February 25, 2025

 Mr. Goldman of New York (for himself, Mr. Espaillat, Mr. Jackson of 
 Illinois, Mr. Nadler, Ms. Norton, Ms. Clarke of New York, Ms. 
 Velazquez, and Mr. Raskin) introduced the following bill; which was 
 referred to the Committee on Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

 To direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study to assess 
 the suitability and feasibility of establishing the African Burial 
 Ground International Memorial Museum and Educational Center at the 
 African Burial Ground National Monument, and for other purposes.

 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

 This Act may be cited as the ``African Burial Ground International 
Memorial Museum and Educational Center Study Act''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

 In this Act:

    (1) Museum.--The term ``Museum'' means the African Burial 
 Ground International Memorial Museum and Educational Center.

    (2) National monument.--The term ``National Monument'' 
 means the African Burial Ground National Monument in the city 
 of New York, New York.

    (3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
 of the Interior, acting through the Director of the National 
 Park Service.

    (4) State.--The term ``State'' means the State of New York.

SEC. 3. AFRICAN BURIAL GROUND INTERNATIONAL MEMORIAL MUSEUM AND 
 EDUCATIONAL CENTER STUDY.

    (a) Study.--

    (1) In general.--The Secretary, in consultation with State 
 and local historic preservation officers, State and local 
 historical societies, State and local tourism offices, and 
 other appropriate organizations and government agencies, shall 
 conduct a study to assess the suitability and feasibility of 
 establishing a museum and educational center at the National 
 Monument, to be known as the ``African Burial Ground 
 International Memorial Museum and Educational Center''--
        (A) to serve as a permanent living memorial and 
 special tribute--
            (i) to the enslaved who are buried at the 
 African Burial Ground; and
            (ii) to other Africans who were enslaved in 
 the United States and other parts of the world;
        (B) to reflect on the significance of the African 
 Burial Ground;
            (C) to examine the African cultural traditions 
 brought to the United States by the enslaved;
            (D) to explore in-depth the institution of slavery 
 in the United States and other parts of the world;
        (E) to provide a space for--
            (i) permanent and temporary exhibits; and
            (ii) the collection and study of artifacts 
 and documents;
        (F) to encourage collaboration between the Museum 
 and the National Museum of African American History and 
 Culture, other museums, historically Black colleges and 
 universities, historical societies, educational 
 institutions, and other appropriate entities and 
 organizations, such as the African Burial Ground 
 Memorial Foundation, including collaboration with 
 respect to--
            (i) the development of cooperative programs 
 and exhibitions, including through digital, 
 electronic, and interactive technologies;
            (ii) the identification, management, and 
 care of Museum collections; and
            (iii) the training of Museum and National 
 Park Service professionals and other persons 
 concerned with heritage preservation; and
        (G) in addition to any collaboration encouraged 
 under subparagraph
        (F) , to be associated with the 
 National Museum of African American History and 
 Culture, in a manner to be determined by the Secretary, 
 in consultation with the Board of Regents of the 
 Smithsonian Institution.

    (2) Requirements.--The study conducted under paragraph

    (1) shall include analysis, documentation, and determinations 
 regarding whether--
        (A) there is an assemblage of collections to be 
 acquired and housed in the Museum that--
            (i) represent distinctive aspects of 
 African cultural traditions brought to the 
 United States by the enslaved;
            (ii) are worthy of recognition, 
 conservation, and interpretation;
            (iii) are important to any identified 
 themes of the Museum;
            (iv) include DNA samples of well-preserved 
 human remains that would enable researchers to 
 trace home ``roots'' in Africa of those 
 individuals buried at the African Burial 
 Ground; and
            (v) are unlike any other anthropological 
 collection in other symbolic sites;
        (B) the Museum provides outstanding opportunities--
            (i) to understand how the international 
 slave trade contributed to the African 
 diaspora;
            (ii) to explore in-depth the institution of 
 slavery, as practiced in other parts of the 
 world and in urban, rural, northern, and 
 southern parts of the United States; and
            (iii) to help the people of the United 
 States understand the past and honor the 
 history of all people in the United States;
            (C) residents, business interests, State and local 
 governments, and nonprofit organizations, such as the 
 African Burial Ground Memorial Foundation--
            (i) are involved in the planning of the 
 Museum;
            (ii) have developed a conceptual financial 
 plan that outlines the roles of all 
 participants in the Museum, including the 
 Federal Government; and
            (iii) have demonstrated support for the 
 designation of the Museum;
            (D) the Secretary of the Interior, the 
 Administrator of the General Services Administration, 
 or other potential management entities would be best 
 suited to operate the Museum; and
        (E) the public supports the proposed location for 
 the Museum at--
            (i) 22 Reade Street, which is adjacent to 
 the National Monument; or
            (ii) any area within the National Monument 
 other than the area described in clause
            (i) .

    (b) Report.--Not later than 3 years after the date on which funds 
are first made available to carry out this Act, the Secretary shall 
submit to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate 
and the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives 
a report that describes--

    (1) the results of the study under subsection

    (a) , 
 including a description of--
        (A) the availability and cost of collections to be 
 acquired and housed in the Museum;
        (B) criteria for evaluating possible locations for 
 the Museum in the State; and
            (C) the costs of acquiring property for, 
 constructing, operating, and maintaining the Museum; 
 and

    (2) any conclusions and recommendations of the Secretary.
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